Thursday, March 31, 2011

Beck's deceptions demonstrates the validity of Media Matters' war on Fox

Last weekend it was revealed in an article on Politico that the liberal media watchdogs, Media Matters for America, is waging "an all-out war of guerrilla warfare and sabotage" on Fox "News." Glenn Beck's reaction to this report demonstrates, in its multi-folded dimensions, why guerrilla warfare and sabotage makes sense to expose Fox for what it is: a political operation far more focussed on propaganda supporting conservative Republicans and reactionary, Tea Party Republicans and opposing Democrats and the left in general. However, announcing the tactics in a news outlet goes against the fundamentals of The Art of War.

The liberal group Media Matters has quietly transformed itself in preparation for what its founder, David Brock, described in an interview as an all-out campaign of “guerrilla warfare and sabotage” aimed at the Fox News Channel.

The article continued:

“The strategy that we had had toward Fox was basically a strategy of containment,” said Brock, Media Matters’ chairman and founder and a former conservative journalist, adding that the group’s main aim had been to challenge the factual claims of the channel and to attempt to prevent them from reaching the mainstream media. The new strategy, he said, is a “war on Fox.”

“These people are actually talking about guerrilla warfare and actually talking about sabotage,” Beck reportedly said. Yes, Glenn Beck is facing tactics that are aimed to counter the ignorant nonsense, vitriol and purposeful lies that he spews on a routine basis. This response from Beck was conveyed on his radio show and reported on his website under the headline, "George Soros's Media Matters vows to "sabotage" FOX News." "Soros's"? First, since they felt the need to deceive, it should have been Soros' Media Matters, not "Soros's." However, it is David Brock's Media Matters; but Beck and his tear prefer deception and dishonesty to genuine and honest discussion with his website readers and radio listeners. That is how he operates, and Beck is especially talented at deception and convincing propaganda with a reactionary agenda. Earth to Glenn Beck's empire: Media Matters for America was founded by David Brock, not George Soros.

exceptionally talented deceiver

The headline writer on Beck's own "news" site newsletter, FIREWIRE, also deceived its readers. It stated, "SOROS FUNDS SABOTAGE OF THE FREE PRESS." According to the story on Politico, a "Soros associate said the financier, who gave Media Matters $1 million last year, did not earmark it for the Fox campaign. Soros suggested in a recent CNN interview that the Fox depictions of him as a sinister media manipulator would better be applied to Murdoch." Soros did not fund this strategy or effort, and one could question whether Fox "News" is a free press or a propaganda outfit committed to undermining the informed citizenry needed for any democratic order.

Beck went on his Fox show to claim that “These guys are going to exploit…they’re coming for you…blackmail….mob-like tactics.” No; that is more deception on Beck's part. No one is going to have a gun pointed at their head and told to tell a Media Matters investigator to tell all they know about Glenn Beck or Bill O'Reilly or else. On his Fox show Monday, Beck stated, "Originally [Media Matters] stated their mission was just to correct conservative misinformation in the media…and now it’s quote guerilla warfare and sabotage. I don‘t even think that’s legal but I’m not an attorney.” Beck usually smears Media Matters and has never previously claimed that they just "correct conservative misinformation."

It is a rare admission on Beck's part to admit ignorance and not pass judgment on a matter. The legal issue that Beck questions is the 501(3)(c) tax status of Media Matters for America. This status forbids them from engaging in any form of political activity, and whether "an all-out war of guerrilla warfare and sabotage" on Fox is deemed political or not may well end up before a judge. Beck is not an attorney; that is a fact. Glenn Beck is also not a political theorist, a Middle East expert, a foreign affairs expert, a labor expert or a theologian; but he doesn't usually let a lack of knowledge on various topics stop him from yammering on for four hours every weekday about that for which he is not qualified to address. Glenn Beck is exceptionally talented at being a reactionary blowhard, and that is good enough for millions of his followers indifferent to Beck's lack of qualifications, facts and ethical integrity. Hypocrites lack ethical integrity, and Beck routinely demonstrates hypocrisy regarding his own stated principles.

On The Blaze, Beck's own media source was this:

Interesting, "The Blaze" uses Media Matters' recordings to convey Beck's own words! Regarding Beck's paranoia, the "major investigation" is still under way and the investigator is a) not an employee of Soros and b) has found a skeleton in Mr. Beck's closet. (Stay "tuned" to this Review for more on this at a later date.)

Beck warns his employees: "I want you to listen to this, and I would like everybody in Mercury to listen to this as well: If anybody is not living a clean life, you better start living a clean life because these guys and this is everybody at Fox and anybody who stands with the Tea Party. These guys are going to exploit. And so if they can get in, this is politicians have known this for a long time. They’re just now doing it to the average person.” Once again, this is not factual. "These guys," i.e., Media Matters, are not going to "exploit ... anyone who stands with the Tea Party" except employees of Fox "News" and Rupert Murdoch's NewsCorp who should NOT be standing with any party.

By announcing their strategy and tactics, Media Matters gave up the elements of stealth and surprise. By telling Ben Smith at Politico what they are about to undertake, David Brock undermined their own effort! Now Fox is on notice. Now, people at Fox may be more careful about what they claim to be fact. That, if it happens that way, would make the announced strategy an automatic success.

However, now forewarned, Fox staffers including Beck and members of his growing media empire will take care to behave legally, ethically and watch their manners. However, as shown here, the evidence, to date, does not indicate that Beck, at any rate, or his staff have any intention to stop misleading his listeners. More deceptions any hypocrisy and more fact finding by researchers at Media Matters and elsewhere to demonstrate that Beck's claims are false or hypocritical will continue, and Beck will certainly continue to smear Media Matters for America. So it goes.